Bag handle structure



March 27, 1962 J. H. VINEBERG BAG HANDLE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 8, 1960 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Fatent 3,027,066 BAG HANDLE STRUCTURE Joseph H. Vineberg, 257 Island Park Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Filed Jan. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 1,344 4 Claims. (Cl. 229-54) This invention relates to a bag, and more particularly to a handle structure therefor.

The common paper bag is probably the most widespread means employed for the packaging of goods in the retail distribution thereof. Because of its lack of positive closure and handle means, its use leaves much to be desired. However, the cost of provision of bags having handle and/ or closure means incorporated therein has heretofore precluded their large scale use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bag of generally conventional form and manufacture but having associated therewith a handle structure which is so inexpensive that the bag may be widely employed for retail packaging, which does not add to the time of packaging, which results in a package of increased strength and resistance to injury, and which substantially reduces the inconvenience of the customer in the transportation of the resulting package.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a side elevatio-n of a bag having a handle structure associated therewith in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the bag in closed position,

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation showing a modified form of arrangement of the handle structure.

In the drawing, the bag 1 is of conventional form and is composed of paper, plastic composition, or like exible sheet material. The bag is generally tubular with end folds 2 defining two side walls 3. The side walls terminate in a closed bottom 4 and an open mouth 5.

The handle structure in accordance with the invention comprises a pair of aligned hand holes 6 in the side walls 3. It is important that these hand holes 6 be spaced from the mouth a distance of at least approximately one inch and preferably about two inches. The handle structure also comprises a band 7 of paper or like flexible sheet material, such band being of substantially less width than that of a side wall 3. A portion 8 of band 7 is secured to one side wall 3 as by adhesive 9. It is important that the adhesively secured portion 8 of band 7 be located in the area of the side wall 3 between hand hole 6 and the bottom 4 to provide a free or intermediate portion 10 of the band. Portion 10 has a hand hole 11 therein in alignment with hand holes 6 and has a length which permits folding thereof over the mouth of the bag when the side walls 3 are in engagement. Portion 10 also has an end or locking tab 12 which substantially coincides with aligned hand holes 6 and 11 when portion 10 has been folded over mouth 5. As shown in FIGURES 2, 3, and 4, tab 12 is adapted to be passed through the ali-gned hand holes to provide a comfortable hand engaging surface bridging the hand holes.

It will be apparent that the width of band 7 need not exceed that necessary to provide the hand hole 11 and tab 12 therein. Thus a width of not substantially more ice than 5 to 6 inches is suflcient. The length of free portion 10 of the band is only sufficient to provide the necessary fold over the mouth 5 and the passage of tab 12 through the hand holes. Thus, such length need not substantially exceed 5 to 8 inches.

It is quite important that the continuous marginal portion 13 of the side Walls 3 defining the mouth 5 be unobstructed by openings or attached elements whereby the respective side wall areas thereof may be freely brought into engagement with each other and, if desired, freely subjected to a folding operation to provide a positive closure of the mouth. As will appear from the foregoing description, the width of this marginal portion 13 is at least one inch and is preferably of the order of about two inches.

'The marginal portion 13 may be of double thickness by inturning a section of the bag walls as indicated at 14 in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3.

Preferably, as shown in FIGURE 4, the bag closure is formed by bringing together the bag walls 3 at the mouth and doubling or folding an end section 1S onto the adjoining section 16. Following this procedure the band portion 10 is folded over the sections 15 and 16 and the tab 12 passed through the hand holes in the manner illustrated.

It will be apparent that the punching of hand holes in a conventional bag and the application of a single band member thereto may be effected in a simple and inexpensive manner.

In using the bag described, the formation of the closure and the positioning of the band portion in carrying position may be accomplished in substantially no more time than would be involved in the formation of a simple folded over closure, in a standard paper bag. The resulting package may be carried in a fully convenient manner by inserting the hand through the aligned hand holes. Moreover, the band supplies the necessary added strength to the handle area to provide a secure package.

I claim:

1. A bag structure having an openable closure comprising a pair of side walls, a closed bottom and sides, the side walls having coextensive free edges at the top to form a mouth, said side walls being cut out to form aligned hand holes spaced from said mouth, a handle structure comprising a band having a lower portion only thereof adhesively secured to the outside'of one of said walls, said lower portion being below the hand holes, a lirst fold line area on each of said side walls above said hand holes and below said mouth for permitting the folding of each said side wall to at least partially close said mouth, an intermediate portion of said band freely extending from said adhesively secured lower portion and being movable from said one side Wall, said intermediate portion eXtending beyond and overlying said fold line area, a second fold line area on said intermediate portion to permit said band to fold over said mouth, said intermediate portion having an end portion forming a locking tab thereon which eX- tends beyond the `free edge of the'side walls in liat unfolded position, a fold line between the tab and the intermediate portion which extends at least up to the free edges of the side walls, and a hand hole in said intermediate portion of said band aligned with said hand holes in said sides, the construction being such that the sides of the bag may be folded along the first fold line area and the intermediate portion of the band folded along the second fold line area and over the folded sides of the bag to permit the insertion of the tab portion through the aligned 3 holes in the side walls and the intermediate portion, thus to releasably close the bag.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein said first and second fold line areas are substantially aligned.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein the side walls are foldable in the same direction along said rst fold line area between said band and said one wall.

4. The structure of claim 3, wherein the tab is of substantially the s amel contour as the hand holes.

4 Reifrenses C39?! in, fh@ file. Qf this. Patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,306,149 Johnson June 10, 1919 1,806,761 Kleebauer et al May 26, 1931 2,182,261 Maas Dec. 5, 1939 FOREIGN` PATENTS 454,113 Great Britain Sept. 24, 1936 

